Don't Lose Hope
by Secrets Of The Moonlight
Summary: Daniel never died in the battle at Hackham Heath. He was only thought to be dead. Upon returning home and finding out his wife is dead, Daniel sets out on a journey to find the mysterious Ranger he had saved and hopefully his son. (Spoiler Alert: I use part of Death of a Hero in the first chapter)
1. Chapter 1

**Hello there! I am Secrets of The Moonlight! This is my first Ranger's Apprentice fanfiction so I just want to say that I do not own any of these characters. All of them belong to the wonderful author John Flanagan. Enjoy!**

The ground was littered with bodies of the dead stretching from one end of the small field to the other. The field itself was located just south of Hackham Heath. Towards one end of the field, the bodies that appeared there consisted of large amounts of Wargal and the occasional human. One human lay in a ring of Wargal, a nasty gash on his left side and a smaller slash on his right side. His chest faintly rose and fell in quiet relaxed breaths. He stirred slightly, slowly opening his light brown eyes.

For a moment he was confused. Then memories of the fight prior to this began to return.

Wargals pushed toward him wielding their dangerous swords and maces. Daniel retreated backwards following the rest of his comrades. He knew that these men wouldn't survive much more of this. Their line continued to retreat having lost all hopes of winning their own fight with the Wargals.

A single black shafted arrow flew from somewhere behind the line stopping a Wargal in its track. Several more arrows followed, every one hitting their mark. Rapidly, the Wargals at the front fell dead onto the ground, tripping their companions and causing confusion.

A man began pushing his way to the front lines, with a shield on one arm and a saxe knife in his other hand.

"Come on! Follow me! Push them back!" The man's shouts rose above the chaos of the battle. The man was shorter than average and had dark black hair and alert dark eyes. Even without the mottled cloak of a Ranger, Daniel was positive that the small man was indeed one.

The Ranger reached the front and now faced the snarling squad leader of the Wargals. The Wargal bared his fangs at the Ranger as it swung its spiked mace horizontally. The Ranger ducked the blow and instantly came up and drove the saxe into the creature's ribs.

A sword swung towards him from the left, quickly the Ranger blocked the blow with his shield and sent the Wargal sprawling across the ground.

"Come on!" The Ranger shouted again, slashing down another Wargal. Swiftly the Ranger ducked, weaved and carved a path forward.

By this point Daniel had recovered from his surprise and moved up behind the Ranger, holding his spear easily with both hands. Daniel began to echo the Ranger's shouts. "Come on! Forward! Push them back!"

The Ranger glanced back at Daniel, taking in his stocky build and the spear he held. Daniel thrust his spear forward skewering a Wargal. He looked over at the Ranger with a grin.

"Keep going, Ranger! You're getting in my way!"

The Ranger turned his attention back to the fight, no longer paying attention the sergeant.

Daniel, with a grin still on his face, stabbed his spear forwards once more, catching a Wargal on the other end. He tossed it aside and continued to follow the Ranger deeper into the battle. As he moved up behind the Ranger, he noticed a Wargal drawing its ax backwards for a killing blow. His spear darted forward over the Ranger's shoulder and went easily through the Wargals throat.

"Thanks!" The Ranger called out.

Daniel ignored the call as he fought, no longer paying to much attention the Ranger. That was until he noticed that the Ranger no longer was carving a path ahead. He glanced around searching for the Ranger's smaller form. He found him laying on the ground, with a Wargal standing on the Ranger's shield. It raised its club for a killing blow.

Daniel darted forward and buried his spear into the Wargal's chest. The force of the thrust sent the Wargal stumbling backwards with a hoarse screech. Daniel leapt over the fallen Ranger and ripped his spear free from the fallen Wargal. He stood with his legs braced and protected the Ranger from all attacks. He thrust his spear forward again and a Wargal hastily retreated. From one side, a battleax slammed down and sent the spear head spinning away. Daniel momentarily glanced down at the two-and-a-half-meter spear shaft. He shrugged and whirled the shaft in a circle, smashing it into a Wargal's helmet. Daniel shifted his grip on the shaft, now holding it in two hands like a quarterstaff. He thrust underarm at an enemy, driving the end deep into a Wargal's midsection.

Faintly, Daniel heard the Ranger call out something from behind him. He was jerked off balance by a Wargal and a sword blade shot forward catching him in the side. Pain flared from the wound and Daniel could feel the blood flowing from his side. He didn't allow himself to falter. Daniel ripped his spear shaft free from the wargal and slammed it between the eyes of the Wargal who had injured him. The Wargal screamed and dropped the sword, bringing its hands to its shattered forehead.

Daniel quickly seized the sword, throwing the spear shaft aside. With blinding speed he struck left and right, slashing the Wargals aside. He parried a blow from a spear thrust, another Wargal slicing open his thigh as he did so. More blood flowed, Daniel killed the Wargal with the spear and slashed horizontally left and right slashing wounds in any Wargal within reach. A knife darted forward and slashed him in the side. Daniel grit his teeth and continued the fight and killed the knife wielder with a backhanded slash. Daniel cut his way forward, hacking away at the Wargals. Suddenly, the Wargals turned and began to flee in terror of the bloodied, death-dealing figure of Daniel.

Daniel fought until his companions had passed him before he dropped the sword, swaying on his feet as his knees threatened to buckle beneath his weight. Daniel's knees gave in and he sagged onto the ground. He painfully turned his head to look at the Ranger approached. Daniel smiled weakly.

"We showed them, Ranger, didn't we?" Daniel's voice was quiet and strained from pain.

"That we did. What's your name, sergeant?" The Ranger croaked out quietly.

"Daniel."

The Ranger gripped Daniel's forearm. "Hold on, Daniel. The healers will be here soon."

Daniel shook his head. "Too late for me."

Daniel's eyes filled with urgency as he thought of his wife and child. He tried to rise but fell back.

"Rest easy." The Ranger said.

Daniel raised his head and leaned toward the Ranger.

"My wife . . . ," He managed to gasp. "My wife and the baby. Promise me you'll..." He coughed and blood rolled down his chin.

"I'll look out for them," The Ranger told him. "But don't worry. You'll be fine. You'll see them soon."

Daniel nodded and let his head fall back. He took a long shuddering breath and relaxed as he faded into unconsciousness.

Daniel shook his head, clearing away the memories. The battle was over now, he just needed to get home to his wife and son. Shakily he rose to his feet. His sides ached along with his thigh, but the wounds bleeding had stopped for the time being. Vaguely, Daniel wondered why he was still here. Did everyone think he was dead. Daniel could think of no other reason as he surveyed the field. He retrieved the jagged-edged sword he had used during the fight and sheathed it at his side. You never know when a weapon might come in handy.

He set out towards the north, walking along with an awkward limp. Daniel eventually found the north road. By this time, the sun was at midway, leaving him a while to travel. He traveled at his slow shuffling pace throughout the remainder of the day. As the sun began to sink out of sight, leaving behind the rosy pinks and yellows of a sunset, Daniel stopped to set up a small camp. He gathered a bunch of twigs and branches and set to work building a fire. Once he had the fire crackling happily he sat back and stared absentmindedly at it.

Daniel smiled softly at the thought of his family. He had left his wife and new born baby alone in their home before going off to war. Silently, he hoped that no news of his 'death' had reached her. Daniel stretched out across the ground and rested his head on his arms. He allowed his eyes to close and fell into a light sleep.

Around dawn, he awoke. The fire had resided to embers during the night and still glowed softly. Daniel sat up, stifling a yawn. His body was stiff and sore from the combination of spending the night on the ground and his unhealed battle wounds. Despite this, Daniel was filled with a sense of excitement. Before the end of the day, he should easily reach his small farm house where his wife and sun awaited him.

With this thought in mind, Daniel set off down the road, continuing with a slightly less awkward pace.

As he rounded a bend in the road, he began searching the sides of the road for the small side trail that would lead him home. Forty meters along and he found it. Daniel turned and set off down the trail. As he neared the farm, he could smell the rich, distinctive odor of a farm.

At the end of the trail he smiled as he saw the small thatched farmhouse where he lived. The smile disappeared when he noticed that there was no smoke from the chimney. Usually, his wife would've had a fire going by now.

Now concerned, Daniel rushed up to the house. Inside was a mess. Clothing and other household items were scattered across the floor laying in what appeared to be dry blood. The table was on its side, smashed halfway through the thin wall. Daniel slowly walked further into the room, the small cradle was empty without the slightest sign of the baby. Daniel glanced around the remains of his home and began collecting items he knew he would need. He grabbed several changes of clothes so he could replace the tattered remains of his current outfit. He also grabbed several of his most valuable things, including a simple necklace that had belonged to his wife. A sudden voice at the door made him turn.

"What are you doing here?" The voice demanded angrily.

Daniel looked at the person in surprise. "What happened to the people who lived here?"

The man in the doorway narrowed his eyes. "The wife was murdered and the husband died in battle."

Daniel felt a pang of sadness in his chest. So his wife was dead. But what about his son?

"And what of the baby?" Daniel asked. He had to know what happened to his son.

"Baby? There never was a baby."

Daniel dropped his gaze. "Oh."

He moved towards the door and walked out. His wife was dead and his son was missing. There was only one thing Daniel could think of to explain it. The Ranger. He had requested that the Ranger made sure his family was okay. If his wife was dead, then perhaps the Ranger could tell him what happened to his child. There was only one slight problem. He hadn't the slightest clue who the Ranger was.

Daniel set off down the trail once more. Turning his back on the small farmhouse he had once called home. If there was even the slightest chance that his son still lived, Daniel would search every corner of the Earth to find him. _I'm coming for for you Will, just hang on._ Daniel thought with determination. First he would find the Ranger, then he would find his son. Daniel was sure that nothing and no one would keep him from his son.


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, I finally got another chapter up! :) I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, but I hope to keep it at least one or two updates a week. So that's what I'll aim for. Anyway, thanks to everyone who reviewed, and enjoy!**

Daniel Walked along the path staring blankly ahead. "She's gone."

The words were muttered lowly, but still echoed out into the empty night. He had been traveling since he left behind his home. Daniel closed his eyes his mind repeating the same words over and over. _She's gone. _

The realization that his wife was dead had finally sunk in. Daniel blinked back tears; he would never again lay eyes on her beautiful smiling face, or wake up in the mornings to her cheery words. She had always brought a certain light and sense of hope to even the worst of situations and now she was gone.

For the most part, Daniel blamed himself for her death. On the way back to the main road, he had noticed the remains of two other soldiers he had known. They were well known for the rumors of their thievery when a soldier dies in battle. They would go to the fallen soldier's home and steal everything valuable. The fact that they were out in the woods dead could mean only one thing to Daniel. His wife had died because the world thought he was dead.

Daniel glanced up at the night sky. The moon had reached its peak and shone down at him, casting its pale silvery glow. Daniel returned his gaze to the road ahead. Logic told him he should rest soon, but he found himself restless. Will was out there somewhere, that much Daniel was all most 100% sure of. He wasn't sure _how _he knew this. After all, it was just as likely that Will was killed along with his wife and buried with her as well.

A pang filled him at this thought. "He's out there somewhere, he has to be." Daniel muttered, kicking a small stone with his foot.

Daniel had the strongest feeling that the Ranger had managed to find Daniel's home. How, Daniel didn't know, he couldn't recall ever telling the Ranger his home's location, but he knew, well more of hoped, that the Ranger knew his son's location.

A new problem arose in his mind. How was he going to find the Ranger? He hadn't really thought about it when he had initially set out in search of him. But thinking about now, Daniel realized that it wouldn't be as simple as asking around. In fact, he was certain that no one would even dare to mention anything about Rangers. Especially with the suspicions of the mysterious people using sorcery and black magic to make themselves disappear.

Daniel himself certainly didn't believe the rumors, but most folk did. When it came to the Rangers, Daniel couldn't really blame them. They certainly were intimidating. Finding the Ranger would certainly prove to be a difficult task. He didn't even know the Ranger's name.

Daniel sighed, his mind straining to come up with any idea at all to find the Ranger. For a while he simply walked in silence, frowning in thought. Finally, as the sky began to show the gloomy gray of first light, an idea occurred to him.

At this point it didn't really matter _what_ Ranger he found as long as he found a Ranger. A Ranger would know where to find the Ranger he was looking for, or at the very least, might be able to him the name of the Ranger.

Daniel nodded, content with his decision. He would travel to one of the castles where it was most likely that the fiefs Ranger would have a cabin nearby. From there, he would simply handle it when the time came for it.

Daniel continued on down the road. He knew that the closet castle at this point was either going to be Castle Caraway or Araluen Castle itself. Daniel already knew that there wasn't even the slightest chance of him getting into Araluen and that meant that his best bet would be to continue traveling North to Caraway.

Daniel picked up the pace, determined to make the trip as short as possible. He traveled like this for days, stopping only when he absolutely had too, or when he needed to tend to his wounds. Most of the time he just continued on down the road at the fastest pace he could manage. He knew that this probably wasn't the best way to travel, but until he could reach Caraway and have the chance to purchase a horse, he figured that his way would work for now.

Finally after several days of this harsh traveling, Daniel reached the small town nestled outside Caraway Castle. As he entered the town, he immediately began scanning the buildings for the inn. He found the two-story building nestled in the center of the town. He entered, glad for the chance to finally rest.

He paid for a room and dinner and sat down at one of the tables. Up until the moment he sat down, Daniel hadn't realized just how tired he truly was. He leaned back against his chair and surveyed the room. Several other people were in the room, with mugs of what Daniel guessed was a strong ale. The small groups voices echoed around the room followed by the short eruptions of their laughter.

The serving came soon after the fifth outbreak of laughter, she carried a bowl of some type of stew and a mug of coffee. Daniel nodded gratefully before digging into the meal. He wolfed down the food, barely even tasting the savory stew as it passed through his lips. He was glad for the chance for rest, knowing that it probably wouldn't be too long before he once again set out.

Daniel finished his meal before retreating into his room for the night. He slipped off his bag and set it next to the bed before removing the jagged-edged sword from his side. He then slipped into bed and was asleep before his head touched the pillow.

Daniel awoke late in the afternoon the following day. He sat up stiffly, his muscles sore from his hard travel to Caraway. His stomach rumbled, provoking Daniel to get out of bed and head downstairs to order a meal.

He sighed in satisfaction as he finished the remains of his breakfast. Today he would search the area in hopes of finding the Ranger for Caraway fief. If he didn't find him today, he figured he would find him tomorrow. Either way, Daniel was determined to find as least some information out with the remainder of the day.

Daniel stood and paid for the meal before returning to his room. He reattached the sword at his side and grabbed his bag. He was pretty sure he technically didn't need it, but he figured it was better safe than sorry.

Daniel headed out into the town. People bustled about, some carrying bags, others simply conversing with friends. He ignored these people as he made his way through the crowd. He knew that there was no way that a Ranger would have his cabin close too close to the town and that he would most likely find it on the outskirts.

The entire time he moved forward, his dark brown eyes skimmed the area for any sign of a Ranger. Daniel searched for most of the afternoon without any luck. It wasn't until he moved further out towards the woods did he finally find what he was looking for. Nestled on the outskirts of the woods was a small wood cabin. On the verandah, a hooded figure sat. He wore the classic mottled green and gray cloak of a Ranger and had a longbow resting on his lap.

Even though, Daniel couldn't see the man's eyes in the shadow of the hood, Daniel could feel the man's eyes watching him as he approached.

Daniel paused once he stood in front the verandah. "Hello."

"What brings you here?" The Ranger replied, his eyes still watching Daniel carefully.

"I have something I need to ask you Ranger." Daniel began, staring up at the Ranger. "I..."

Daniel stopped. What was he going to say? I am supposed to be dead, but had met a Ranger in battle who I believe knows the location to my son? If he said that, Daniel would sound positively crazy.

The Ranger's voice brought him away from his thoughts. "Go on. What do you need to ask me? Few folk have the courage to talk to Rangers so it must be pretty important."

"I met a Ranger at the battle of Hackham Heath and was wondering if you could tell me the Ranger's name." Daniel said, sighing internally. It sounded better to him than telling the Ranger everything.

"The Ranger that was in that battle, I believe was Ranger Halt." The Ranger answered. "Is that all?"

Daniel started to nod before another thought occurred to him. "What fief is he from?"

The Ranger looked surprised. "He is the Ranger of Redmont."

Daniel nodded his thanks. "Thank you Ranger."

Daniel turned away and began making his way back to the town. He would stay another night in the inn and tomorrow he would purchase a horse before beginning the long journey to Redmont fief.

He went to be without dinner that night, knowing that he would need his money to purchase a horse tomorrow. Once back in his room, he slipped off his bag and sword and stretched out on the bed. He close his eyes, his thoughts drifting towards the Ranger Halt. He hoped that Halt really was the Ranger he had fought alongside and not just another Ranger who had been at the battle. No matter what, this was the only information Daniel had at the moment and he planned on using to find Will.

_It shouldn't be much longer Will. I will find you._ With those final thoughts, Daniel drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yes! Finally! A new chapter! Sorry about the long wait, but Track had started kept me busy on weekends and afternoons. That and the combination of homework my teachers were giving me left me very little time for writing. But none the less here is the new chapter! (Oh, by the way, I am very sorry if I get any kind of information wrong. I had to guess several times in the information. This includes the 30 years later thing. I am not all at sure if this is too little time passed by. But I'm guessing that it is about right. I was aiming for this to be about a year or so after the Lost Stories take place. )**

_30 years later..._

Halt sat in front of his cabin, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee. He was planning on heading out to one of the more remote farms in Redmont, settled at least a two hours ride from Redmont Castle. There hadn't really been anything out of the ordinary there, but none the less, something had managed to catch Halt's attention.

At the previous Ranger Gathering, the Ranger of Caraway had spoken to him about an occurrence that had happened thirty-something years ago shortly after the battle at Hackham Heath. A man had come to him asking about a Ranger who had helped to lead the battle. The man had been injured and carried a jagged Wargal sword at his side.

The reason Caraway's Ranger had even bothered to bring this up was due to the fact that he had told the man Halt's name and had been curious to know if the man had ever found Halt. Now Halt was curious and had recently heard about someone living several hours away from Redmont Castle who held absolutely no fear of Rangers and was rumored to be a crazy and frightening man. Halt didn't truly believe that it was the same man who had spoken to Caraway's Ranger, but he was curious to see what this man was like.

Halt finished his coffee and stood to saddle Abelard and head out. Soon he was on the road, traveling in silence. In about two hours time, he spotted smoke rising into the air from a chimney. The small farm itself appeared into view several minutes later.

The farm itself was rather small and looked practically abandoned. Two horses were grazing in a nearby pasture. One was a big bay work horse, the other was a small black Arabian. The horses both raised their heads as Halt and Abelard approached, watching them with wary eyes. The bay soon returned to grazing having decided that Halt poised no threat. Halt surveyed the rest of the farm for any other signs of life. Off to one side the farmhouse as a small garden. It held the only plants that looked taken care of. The rest of the farm land as either overgrown or devoid of any vegetation at all.

Halt reined Abelard to a stop in front of the home. He dismounted and walked up to the door. The sound of someone moving around could be heard through the door. Halt knocked on the door and instantly all movement stopped. After several minutes of waiting, Halt knocked again. This time he only waited several seconds before the door opened. Halt held back a look of surprise.

The man that now stood before him bore an uncanny resemblance to Will. He had the same brown hair and light brown eyes, although he was a good deal taller than Will. Despite the obvious resemblance, the similarities seemed to end there. This man had a wild look to him. His hair was shaggy and unkempt. There were dark shadows under his alert brown eyes. All in all, the man looked ready to flee at any moment. His eyes met Halt's dark gaze evenly, a look of relative surprise outlining his features.

"A Ranger? What can I do for you?"

Halt hesitated, unsure of what to say. "I heard a rumor that you were asking around about Rangers."

The man let out a short bark of laughter. Although the sound held no humor. "No need to concern yourself Ranger. I no longer care. All of my hopes were shattered long ago."

His words left Halt confused. "What do you mean?"

"The war took everything from me," As he spoke, the man's eyes grew sorrowful and dark. "I lost everything I cared about. My wife is dead...and my son..." The man's voice broke. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "My son... he's, he's dead too."

The man stepped farther back into his home. Through the doorway, Halt could see the soft glow of a fire and could make out the jagged edge of a sword hanging above the fireplace.

Halt turned to leave before a question popped into his head. "What's your name?"

"Daniel."

Halt merely nodded and turned away. As he was walking away, he heard the soft click of the door shutting. He remounted Abelard and slowly began the journey back to Redmont. There was no way that it was mere coincidence. But then again, it just wasn't possible. Daniel had died in the battle of Hackham Heath. That man couldn't possibly have been the same one. But there also were the other factors to consider. The man bore an uncanny resemblance to Will, he was around the same height and build of Will's father, had a Wargal sword in his possession, and even had a similar past. Was there really any way that is was all coincidence?

Halt stopped Abelard and headed back the way he had come. If there was even the slightest possibility that that man was Will's father, then Halt _would _find out. Halt dismounted and sat motionless at the edge of the farm, trusting his cloak to conceal him.

3rd Person- Daniel

Daniel sat in front of the fireplace staring blanking into the fire. He had finally said it aloud. After all these years he had finally admitted it. Will was as good as gone. He was never going to find him and it had been stupid of him to ever have believed that he could find his son. But now, he had finally admitted it and said it aloud and to a Ranger of all people. Daniel finally had to accept that he had no family left. At least outside of his animals. Without his horses, Daniel was sure he would truly go insane.

Daniel took in deep breath and stood. Going outside to see his horses always helped him get his mind off his missing family. He made his way out the door and over to the horse pasture. As he neared it, he whistled lowly.

The black Arabian instantly trotted over to where Daniel stood and shoved his head into Daniel's side. Daniel smiled softly and rubbed the center of the horses forehead.

"Well hello to you too Spar."

Spar nickered softly in response. By this point in time, the bay work horse had also moved to join Daniel by the fence and snorted once to draw attention.

Daniel smiled and scratched under the horses chin.

"It's good to see you too, Caber."

Caber snorted and tossed his head, lightly butting Daniel's arm. Spar snorted and lightly nipped Daniel's shirt in an attempt to draw Daniel's attention back to him.

"Would you two stop?" Daniel said with a laugh, as he watched the two horses fight over attention. "You're worse than dogs."

Spar stopped and slowly drew his gaze to Daniel, his big brown eyes holding a look of pure innocence. Caber too, soon copied the look and stood there motionless aside from the occasional swish of a tail.

Daniel began grooming the two horses, all the while talking softly to them. He spoke lovingly of his wife and child, explaining the traits he had noticed in them and what he missed most. Daniel than went on to talk about the Ranger's short visit early and how it had been years since he had even asked a single question about a Ranger.

By the time Daniel returned to his house, it was dark outside. He quickly made a meal and went to bed. As he lay in his bed, his thoughts returned to wife and child and he thought of the happier times before falling asleep.

_Daniel stood in the kitchen of his farmhouse with his wife. She was smiling as she cradled Will in her arms._

"_He has your eyes you know." She said softly, her eyes never leaving Will's sleeping form. _

_Daniel smiled. "Yes, but he has your remarkable intelligence."_

"_Oh really?" She lifted her gaze to meet Daniels. _

"_Oh yes. God help us if he ends up like me." Daniel grinned mischievously._

"_And what's wrong with being you?" _

"_Well, Araine, maybe because I'm too stubborn to admit when I'm wrong and don't know when to quit."_

_Araine laughed softly. "You can say that again Daniel."_

_Daniel moved over to where Araine stood and wrapped her into a hug. "You know, I think he'll do great things some day."_

_Araine smiled lovingly. "That he will, Daniel, that he will."_

Daniel slowly blinked open his eyes, trying his best to hold back the tears. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and continue that dream. That wonderful dream. He exhaled slowly and turned over onto his side. _Oh Will, where are you?_

**Done! It's a huge relief to finally finish this chapter. Plus I already have a head start on the next one! Anyways, I found a song that I for one, think kind of fits Daniel situation. It's Hymn For The Missing by Red. Anyways, thanks for reading. ~ Secrets Of The Moonlight. **


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